Couch-bed.



C. L. PLUNKETT.

COUCH BED.

APPLIOATION FILED DEC. 31, 1910 Patented Mar. 7, 1911.

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CHARLES I. PLUNKET'I', OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO AMEFJRA'ICALBICOUCH COMPANY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

COUCH-BED.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar. 7, 1911. Applicationfiled December 31, 1910. Serial No. 600,255. 4

OSOAOO.

1 b all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLEs L. PLUN- KETT, a citizen of the UnitedStates,res1ding at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Couch- Beds,of which the following is a-specification. ,7 v

This invention relates to improvements in couch beds, the object of theinvention being to provide a couch or couch-section having a storagereceptacleand in which the use of the side bars heretofore deemednecessarymay be dispensed with, whereby the structure may be very muchsimplified, the weight reduced and the expense of manufacture lessened,while the structure will be as durable and as strong as those structuresin which the side bars were used.

,A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved meansfor supporting one part or half of the spring mattress of one of thesections of the bed whereby the same will be maintained level with theother part thereof.

Heretofore in couch beds ithas been necessary, owing to the tension ofthe metallic fabric connected to the, end frames forming each section ofthe bed, to. provide side bars for maintaining the end frames apart.These side bars are heavy, since they must be made, of tubing or angleiron, and necessarily increase the cost'of the structure, but it has notbeen considered practicable to dispense with them. I In the presentimprovement, however, I provide a section of the bed with a storagereceptacle so located that it will take the place of the side bars andthus permit such sidebars to be dispensed with, and which storagereceptacle, in the preferred form of the improvement, will be maintainedin position by thetension of the .1 metallic fabric, thus also obviatingthe necessity of providing a special means for securing the storagereceptacle in place.

In the present improvement the end frames carrying the storagereceptacle comprise transverse members and supporting members or legsadapted to rest upon the floor, so that the storage receptacle is whollysupported by and suspended between the end frames, which are not ofrudimentary form, and the present construction 1s therefore an importantimprovement in several respects upon that shown and described in mycontemporaneously pending allowed applicascoping sections with a part ofthe fabric and the sectional or folding mattress removed; Fig. 2 IS atransverse View, with the storage receptacle shown in sectlon, of thisform of couch bed open; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of-thatsection of the couch bed carrying the storage receptaclef Fig. 4 is adetail view of the spring mattress of the shiftable section; and Fig.5is a detail sectional View illustrating the manner of connecting onepart of the spring mattress of the shiftable section.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe figures of the drawings. p p

In the present improvementthe couch 'is shown comprising a pair ofsections, one comprising a main or stationary section 2 having a pair ofend frames 3. and 4, each comprising a transverse member 5 shown hereinas horizontal, having legs or supports 6, these transverse membershaving attached thereto and stretched therebetween a spring mattress ormetallic fabric 7 For connecting the end frames together so as toprevent the spring mattress from drawing them toward each other suitableside bars 8 are provided. The othersectiQn, herein designated as theshiftable ortsliding section 9,

likewise comprises a pair of end frames 10 and 11, each comprising atransverse member 12 shown herein as horizontal, having legs or supports13 constructed to rest upon the floor. Supported by this shiftablesection, preferably by brackets 14' carried by I the legs, is a storagereceptacle 15 having a swinging cover 16.

The stuffed mattress supporting means in the present instance comprisesa metallic fabric or spring mattress 17 stretched under tension betweenthe end frames, one part or half, as 18, thereof being connected to thehorizontal members 12 while the, other half or part 19 thereof isconnected in the present improvementv to a pair of angle irons 2Opivotally secured at the inside of the horizontal members 12, for whichpurpose the horizontal members 12 have riveted thereto brackets 12, seeFig. 5, to which the members 20 are pivotally connected at the innerside of the horizontal angle members 12.

' In my prior application, Serial No. 473,812,

filed January 23, 1909, these angle irons 20 are pivotally secured tothe outside of the horizontal members, in consequence of which thehelical springs would necessarily rest upon the tops of the horizontalmembers, and owing to their diameter the spring mattress could not beentirely level with the non-swinging part thereof if it was attacheddirectly to the end frames, and in conse' quence this part of themattress had to be attached to separate angle iron members which wereriveted to the end frames; but by means of the present improvement itwill be observed that the two partsof the spring mattress for theshiftable section may be entirely level, while the fixed part thereofmay be connected directly to the members 12 without the necessity ofusing additional angle iron members on top thereof. The outer ends ofthese pivoted angle iron members will rest upon suitable supports 21,carried by the legs, when the same are down. The cover 16 is linked tothis swinging portion of the mattress by suit-able links 22, a pairthereof being shown, so that on raising one half of the mattress thecover of the storage receptacle will also be lifted.

The members 20 forming a part of the swinging half of the springmattress are connected at their outer ends by a drop formed bar 23 forpreventingthe-same from being drawn toward each other by the tension ofthe fabric, and to this bar the cover of the storage receptacle isconnected. The

I storage receptacle being placed upon its supports and the springfabric attached to the horizontal members of the end frames, it will beobserved that the tendency of the tensioned fabric to draw the endframes toward each other, which is also increased by the weight of theoccupant, is prevented by the storage receptacle, which thus is utilizedto take the place of the side bars heretofore deemed necessary, thusdispensing with such side bars, the spreading of the legs beingprevented by means of tension strips 2 f connected thereto.

When the shiftable section is formed without the swinging half of thespring mattress it is obvious that the drop formed bar may be alsodispensed with, it being merely necessary then to form the front of thebox so that it can swing up or down.

By the present improvement it will thereforebe observed that I amenabled to provide a couch bed with a storage receptacle held inposition by the angle iron formation of the legs and the tension of thefabric, since no other means is necessary to hold the box in positionagainst displacement than thetension of the fabric, other than su'itable supports or brackets located at the underside thereof to supportthe Weight of the box, thus obviating the necessity of fastening devicesfor securing the box to the end frames, and as the box is effective toprevent the drawing of the end frames toward each other I am also ableto do away with the use of side bars heretofore deemed necessary.

I \Vhen the present improvement is applied to a couch such as that shownin the drawing the two sect-ions may be linked together by means oflinks 30 connected with a swinginobar 31, by means of which theshiftable section may be-opened and closed, and this swinging bar maycarry a sectional mattress which will be also opened and closedsimultaneously with the swinging of the bar.

I claim as my invention:

1. A couch bed comprising a pair of end frames consisting of transversemembers and legs adapted to rest upon the floor, a storage receptaclesupported wholly by said end frames and itself forming the means formaintaining theend frames spaced apart, and yielding mattress supportingmeans carried by said end frames above. the storage receptacle. p

2. A couch bed comprising a pair of end frames consisting of transversemembers and legs adapted to rest upon the floor, a storage receptaclesupported wholly by said end frames and itself forming the means forpreventing movement of the end frames relatively to each other, and aspring mattress stretched under tension and connected to said end framesand effective to hold the storage receptacle in place between the endlapped by said legs and itself forming the means for preventing the endframes from being drawn together by the tension of the fabric, a springmattress stretched under tension and connected to said end frames andeffective to draw the end frames toward each other and so hold thestorage receptacle in place between the end frames, and means forpreventing the spreading of the end frames.

4:. A couch bed comprising a pair of end frames comprising transverselyextending members and legs adapted to rest upon the floor, a storagereceptacle supported wholly by said end frames and itself forming themeans for preventing movement of the end frames relatively to eachother, and a spring mattress stretched under tension and connected tosaid end frames and effective to hold the storage receptacle in placebetween osaaoo the end frames, said mattress being formed as a two-partfabric,.one part liftable relatively to and above the other and alsoabove the transversely extending members of the end frames, saidliftable part being pivotally connected to the end frames at the insidetiherleof whereby the mattress may be entirely .eve

5. A couch bed section comprising a pair of end frames consisting oftransverse meminside thereof whereby the mattress may be entirely level,a bar connecting the ends of the liftable fabric, a cover hinged to saidstorage receptacle, and 'a link or links 0011- necting said cover withsaid bar.

6. A couch section comprising a pair of end frames consisting oftransverse members and legs adapted to rest upon the floor, a metallicfabric stretched under-tension therebetween, apart thereof liftablerelatively to and above another part thereof and also above such endframes and having members at its ends pivotally connected to the insideof the end frames of the section whereby the fabric may be entirelylevel.

7. A couch bed comprising a pair of telescoping bed sect-ions. oneshiftable relatively to the other, the shiftable section comprising apair of end frames consisting of transverse members and legs adapted torest upon the floor, a storage receptacle supported wholly by said endframes and itself forming the means for maintaining the end framesspaced apart, and a spring mattress stretched under tension andconnected to said end frames forn naintaining thestorage receptacle inposition.

8. A couch bed comprising a pair of telescoping bed sections, oneshiftable relatively to the other. the shiftable section comprising apair of end frames consisting of transverse members and legs adapted torest upon the floor. a storage receptacle supported wholly by said endframes and itself forming the means for maintaining the end framesspaced apart, and a spring mattress stretched under tension andconnected to said end frames for maintaining the storage receptacle inposition, said mattress having a part thereof liftable relatively to andabove-another part thereof and also above the end frames, said liftablepart being pivotally connected at the inside of the end frames wherebythe mattress may be entirely level.

9. A couch bed comprising a pair of telescoping bed sections, oneshiftable relatively to the other, the shiftable section comprising apair of end frames consisting of transverse members and legs adapted torest upon the floor, a storage receptacle supported wholly by said endframes and itself forming the means for maintaining the ,end framesspaced apart, a spring mattress stretched under tension and connected tosaid end frames for maintaining the-storage receptacle in position, saidmattress having a part thereof liftable relatively to and above anotherpart thereof and also above the end frames and said liftable part beingpivotally connected at the inside of the end frames whereby the mattressmay be entirely level, a swinging cover for said storage receptacle, abar extending lengthwise of the swinging mattress part, a link or linksconnecting. said cover with said bar whereby the swinging part of themattress and cover may be simultaneously lifted, and means forpreventing the spreading of the end frames.

10. A couch bed comprising a pair of telescoping bed sections, oneshiftable relatively to the other,the shiftable section comprising apair of end frames consisting of transverse members and legs adapted torest upon the floor, a storage receptacle supported wholly by said endframes and itself forming the means for maintaining the end framesspaced apart, a spring mattress stretched under tension and connected tosaid end frames for maintaining the storage receptacle in position, saidmattress having a part thereof liftable relatively to and above anotherpart thereof and saidliftable part being pivotally connected at theinside of the end frames whereby the mattress may be entirely level. aswinging cover for said storage receptacle, a bar extending lengthwiseof the swinging mattress part, a link or links connecting said coverwith said bar whereby the swinging partof the mattress and cover may besimultaneously lifted, means for preventing the spreading of the endframes, and means for shifting the shiftable section to form a couch ora double bed and adapted to carry a sectional mattress which may beopened or closed simultaneously with the shifting of the shiftablesection.

11. A couch section comprising a pair of end frames consisting oftransverse members and legs adapted to rest upon the floor, a yieldingmattress supporting means supported by the end frames, a part liftablerelatively to and above another part thereof and also above the endframes and having a lengthwise extending bar connecting the ends of saidliftable part, a storage rea shiftable cover, and a link or linkscarried ally secured to said horizontal members for by said cover andbar whereby on the sWingswinging movement above the fixed part 0:" ingof the liftable part of the mattress the said fabric.

' Signed at 1822 R111; Row Building, New

cover W111 be simultaneously shifted.

12. A couch bed comprising a pair of end York, N. Y., this 30th day ofDecember,

frames consisting of supports and horizontal members, and a two-partsuspensively sup- CHARLES L. PLUNKETT. ported metallic fabric supportedby the end Witnesses: frames, one a fixed part connected directly T. E.Boron,

to said horizontal members by helical GEORGE F. PUROELL.

ceptacle carried by said section and having springs and the other aliitable part pivot- I

